Abstract
Women played an important role in the early history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Ellen White helped her husband, James, to establish the church in 1863.1 She was recognised and appreciated, by that time, as the key leader and communicator of God’s will to the denomination. Not only did she assume a leadership role of teaching and preaching, but she led the way in shaping the doctrines and fundamental beliefs of the church. But all this was not without opposition. Early in Ellen White’s ministry, criticism came from members and non-members of the movement alike. The main objection was raised by quoting 1 Corinthians 14: 34: ‘Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says’, and 1 Timothy 2: 12: ‘I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.’
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Notes
Bertha Dasher, ‘Leadership Positions: A Declining Opportunity?’, Spectrum 15: 4 (December 1984): 35.
Cf. M. McLeod, Betrayal (Loma Linda, California: Mars Hill Publications, Inc., 1985).
See, for example, Tom Dybdahl, ‘Merikay and the Pacific Press: Money, Courts and Church Authority’ Spectrum 7: 2 (1975): 44–53
T. Dybdahl, ‘Merikay and the Pacific Press: An Update’ Spectrum 8: 1 (1975): 44–5
Brenda Butka, ‘Women’s Liberation’, Spectrum 3:4 (Autumn 1971): 22–8.
Leona Running, ‘The Status and Role of Women in the Adventist Church’, in Spectrum 4: 3 (Summer 1972): 61
N. Vymeister, ‘Women of Mission’, Spectrum 15: 4 (December 1984): 38–43.
Rebecca F. Brilhard, ‘Directory of Groups Addressing Concerns of Women in the Adventist Church’, in Spectrum 19: 5 (July 1989): 46.
Charles Scriven, ‘World Votes No to Women’s Ordination’, Spectrum 25:1 (September 1995): 30–2
Stella Ramirez Greig, ‘Conference Within a Conference’, Spectrum 25:1 (September 1995): 20–4
Roy Branson, ‘Utrecht 1995: Editor’s Notebook’, Spectrum 25:1 (September 1995): 8–12.
Emily Tillotson, ‘College Church Pursues Equality in Ministry’, Adventist Today 4:5 (September/October 1996): 24
As quoted in Bryan Zervos, ‘A Sacred Moment at Sligo’, Spectrum 25:1 (September 1995): 33.
James Londis, ‘The Gospel Demands Equality Now’, Spectrum 19: 5 (July 1989): 41.
Richard Davidson and Skip MacCarty, ‘Biblical Questions On Women and Ministry’, Spectrum 19: 5 (July 1989): 29.
Beatrice S. Neall, ‘A Theology of Woman’, Spectrum 19: 5 (July 1989): 14–28.
Samuel Bacchiocchi, ‘Ministry or Ordination of Women?’, Spectrum 17: 2 (December 1986): 20–5.
Bryan Ball, ‘The Ordination of Women: A Plea for Caution’, Spectrum 17: 2 (December 1986): 39–43.
Sakae Kubo, ‘The Bible and the Ordination of Women: A Bibliographical Essay’, Spectrum 7:2 (1975): 32.
Beatrice Neall, ‘A Theology of Woman’, Spectrum 19: 5 (July 1989): 14.
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© 1998 Zdravko Plantak
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Plantak, Z. (1998). Gender Divide: The Role of Women in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In: The Silent Church. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-26649-4_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-26649-4_6
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